Two beautiful blonde Australian “Bachelor” contestants ended up falling for one another on the hit TV show and they are insisting it’s not a publicity stunt.

Megan Marx and Tiffany Scanlon were once two single, heterosexual contestants on “The Bachelor Australia.” Now the couple will appear together on the January 2017 cover of Maxim after being named “Couple of the Year” by the magazine. The magazine hits newsstands Friday.

Perhaps due to the nature of how Marx and Scanlon’s relationship began (on television) many have criticized them, believing it’s nothing more than a ploy for publicity and money. Both of them have responded to the various criticisms they’ve been receiving for the Maxim shoot on social media.

Megan admitted in an Instagram post that she turned off her comment notifications because of all of the negative things being said of her and Tiffany’s relationship. On Wednesday, she fired back and tried to explain what she and Tiffany were hoping to do with their photoshoot.

“Tiffany and I aren’t specifically trying to break down the misogynistic attitudes of men, we are trying to increase the normalisation of desire and love in any form — and conversation (sometimes controversial conversation) is a massive step in making those who were unaffected, disinterested and without any kind of knowledge–think about and create ideology that could change the future,” Marx said in her post.

“I’m excited and I’m super proud of what [Megan] and I have achieved here. I knew it would be controversial, I knew it would ruffle feathers, I knew there would be criticism and judgement but guess what, I did it anyway!” Scanlon began in her post.

“I do what I wan because I want to; not for any body else; not to impress or offend or any other reason than because I WANT TO and I honestly don’t need anyone’s approval,” she continued.

(Photo credit: Splash News)

Scanlon then praised Maxim for featuring her and Marx although it’s primarily written for a male audience. “They have shown us more support than most other Australian media and I am proud to shoot with a publication who is as much about pushing boundaries as we are.”

“If you think that this is some fake anti feminist lesbianised sexual male fantasy then you are only aiding the judgemental backward thinking of society whether you are straight, gay, bi or however else you choose to label yourself,” Scanlon concluded.

Of course, their sexuality and relationship together were highlighted in the interview with Maxim Australia, and the cover caused a backlash before it even hit newsstands.

“I think without people properly knowing us, and seeing us together, it can all seem a bit ‘too good to be true,’” Megan told Maxim. “Some people can be fairly negative, but there is also so much support so we are trying to focus on that.”

“Usually we just say, ‘OK, you can think what you like,’” Tiffany added. “I don’t have the time or energy to spend trying to convince the critics that we are together. It just makes me sad that we live in such a cynical world where a lot of people choose to believe it is a lie rather than having trust and faith in that it is the truth.”